Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Makeup 101: How to apply eye shadow

For my 100th post, I thought I'd get back to basics. There's a thousand ways to apply eyeshadow, but in order to be able to describe it clearly and duplicate other's looks, you need to familiarise yourself with some terminology commonly used to describe parts of the eye.

I have created a diagram that I hope will clear things up:

I even used hideous clown colours so you can clearly see the different parts. Rest assured this is not a combo I would leave the house with, but I hope it makes things easier to understand for you:

Roughly from top to bottom & left to right:

Highlight (Yellow)

This is right up under your eyebrow. You would normally put a lighter colour up here to make your brows look more arched and make your eyes look more "awake".

Crease/Browbone (Fuchsia)

Under the highlight, above the crease on your lid (if you have one), this is usually a zone where you have a blended colour, a colour midway in tone between your highlight colour and what you have on your lid. You can also put a line of darker colour along the edge of your eye socket, on your eye crease (if you have one), to enhance the shadow/depth there.

Inner Lid (Blue)

Middle Lid (Orange)

Outer Lid (Brown)

Along your lid you normally want a range of colour tones - light colour in the middle, darker on the inner lid and darkest on the outer lid. You can either do this with different eyeshadows, or by lighter/heavier application of the same shadow.

Inner Corner/Tear Duct (Violet)

If you add a light and/or bright colour here it will make your eyes look wider, more open and more awake.

Waterline (Green)

this is on the inside of your eyelid, between your lashes and your eyeball. Some people put a dark eyeliner here but for a wide-eyed, awake look I prefer a white eyeliner or some other light/bright colour.

Lower Lashline (fluro red)

Under your lower lash, you can add colour under your eyeliner, along your bottom lash. This would normally be for a nighttime/going out look rather than a daytime/work look. It can really elevate a look to add some colour here.

Now of course this is for my eye - the eye of a mostly irish blooded Aussie Mutt white girl with pale skin, a typical Caucasian eye (if there is such a thing). Your eye might be quite different, so it would be of value for you to have look at your own eyes and work out where your "zones" are.

Fashion Adjacent?

Instead of "Fashion Forward" - where being "trendy" or "on trend" or "ahead of the next trend" is most important - be "Fashion Adjacent". You're aware of current trends, but you know that this season's trends are an optional dress up party, to be indulged in or ignored as your personal style dictates.

If you are "Fashion Adjacent", you:

Forget "trendy" and wear things you love whether they are "fashionable" or not.